Plastic container



April 21, 1959 R. H. CLOSE 2,882,947

PLASTIC cormmsn Filed Oct'. 30., 1956 v INVENTOR.

ROBERT H. CLOSE BY ATTO R N EY United States PatentO PLASTIC CONTAINERRobert H. Close, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Plastray Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 30, 1956,Serial No. 619,208

Claims. (Cl. 150-.5)

Thisinvention relates to plastic containers and particularly to acontainer molded preferably from polyethylene plastic material andcomprising an open top receptacle having a closure or cover adapted tobe drawn down by screw action into sealing relation to the upper annularedge of the receptacle. The plastic container constructed in accordancewith the invention is susceptible to various uses, such as forcontaining or storing in a refrigerator foods, beverages and liquids,especially suchliquids as fruit juices and the like. The container mayalso be used as a shaker for mixing liquid ingredients, and is providedwith a closure or cover having a pouring opening or spout and a sealingcap therefor. This construction enables the liquid contents of thereceptacle to be conveniently dispensed without necessitating theremoval of the main closure from the receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved cover or closurefor sealing the container, said cover having formed in one side of thetop thereof a depressed or recessed portion. Within the recess thusformed the cover is provided with an aperture or opening formed with anupstanding pouring lip adapted to be received for closure or sealingpurposes and to snugly fit within a recessed portion of a swingable caphinged at a point inwardly of the pouring lip. This cap as well as thepouring lip are disposed within the recess, preferably substantiallyflush with the top surface of the main closure or cover, thus protectingthe hinged cap during use and providing an improved construction inwhich the upper surfaces of the container and the hinged cap formsubstantially a flat top facilitating stacking of containers one onanother and also enabling articles to be placed thereon.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of aflexible plastic container or receptacleconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken substantiallythrough lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary exploded view showing in side elevation thecover and the upper end of the receptacle.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated 10. In thepreferred construction the top of the cover by way of example oneembodiment of the present invention, there is shown at 10 a hollowcontainer or receptacle open at its top and adapted to be closed bymeans of a cover or lid 11, the container and cover being preferablymolded from polyethylene plastic material and, hence, possessing thedesirable properties of being pliable or yieldable as well asunbreakable. The receptacle 10 comprises an annular side wall 10a whichterminates at its upper end in a thickened annular edge portion 10bwhich, in the molding process, is integrally formed with a series, suchas four separated screw threads 12.

The major area 11a of the top surface of the closure or cover 11 ispreferably flat and at one side of the cover there is provided arecessed or depressed portion 13 forming a recess or well of suitableconfiguration, such as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom wall 13a of therecess is offset below the top surface 11a of the cover. Proximate tothe margin of the cover at one side thereof the bottom wall 13a of therecess is formed with a pouring opening or orifice 14, circular inconfiguration and bounded by an upstanding annular pouring lip or flange1411. This pouring lip provides in effect a spout permitting the liquidcontents of the container to be conveniently dispensed or pouredtherefrom. The opening 14 in the cover is adapted to be closed andsealed by means of a cap 15 which is preferably molded from polyethyleneplastic material as a separate unit or piece. The

cap or closure 15 is provided with a depending annular, wall flange 1511producing a recess into which the an-' nular lip 14a snugly fits. Asshown in Fig. 3 the flange 15a of the cap and the flange or lip 14a ofthe cover have complementary tapered surfaces so that when the cap isforced down it will effect tight sealing engagement with the pouring lip14a. The cap 15 is preferably provided with a projecting finger piece 16by means of which it may be lifted or swung upwardly, as shown in brokenlines in Fig. 3, to permit the contents of the container to be dispensedthrough the pouring opening 14. The cap is also molded to provide anintegral inwardly extending bail or yoke piece 17, the end of which isadapted to be pressed into a wedge shaped slot 18 in a bifurcated lug 19projecting from the bottom wall 13a of the recessed portion 13. Thisinterlocking connection between the bail 17 and the lug 19 provides ahinge mounting for the cap 15 by means of which the parts may be readilyassembled.

In the illustrated embodiment the outer side of the channel ofsubstantial depth to receive and confine the' upper free edge portion ofthe container or receptacle 11 is formed with a depending annular sidewall 20 which terminates at and is interrupted by the depressed portion13. As indicated in Fig. 2 the. side wall 20 merges into the side wallof the depressed portion 13. In the present instance the side wallportion 20 of the cover is laterally offset to provide an annular edgeor web portion 21 which in turn merges into a depending outer wallflange 22. This flange is formed with a series of separated threads 23,such as four in number, complementary to the corresponding threads 12 onthe container and having threaded engagement therewith when the cover isscrewed onto the container.

The side wall 20 of the cover merges into an inner depending wall flange24 which is spaced inwardly of the wall flange 22 and extends generallyparallel thereto. The wall flange 24 is formed with an upwardly andoutwardly tapered surface 24a which preferably terminates at the loweredge of the flange 24 in an annular tapered or bevelled lead edge 24b.

The spaced annular wall flanges 22 and 24 form an Patented Apr. 21,1959.

annular channel closed at its top by the web portion 21 and dimensionedso as to provide adequate space between the threads 23 and the innerflange 24 for entry of the wall portion b when assembling the cover withthe container. Insertion or entry of the *wall portion 10b of thecontainer into the channel is facilitated by means :of the bevelled leadedge 24b and the tapered surface 24a. At the locality of juncture -ofthe tapered surface 24:: of the flange 24 and the "bottom of the web 21there is preferably formed a curved'surface 25 adapted to conformsubstantially to the curved upper edge of the container and coacttherewith, when the cover is tightened on the container by screw actionto provide a liquid seal over a substantial area. In preferred practicethe depth of the outer flange '22 'is materially greater than the depthof the inner flange 24 so as to provide adequate area for screw threadsand also to extend well down over the upper side of the container. Thus,when the cooperating threads of the cover and container are engaged andthe cover is screwed'down tightly, the upper edge of the container willeffect a tight sealing engagement with the bottom surface of the ledge21 in the region at 25, the proper positioning of the upper .edge of thecontainer to efiect the seal being aided by the tapered surface 24a ofthe inner wall flange 24.

Since the container, when-formed of polyethylene plastic matereial, isinherently flexible or pliable, the inner wall flange 24 serves theimportant function of retaining or restraining the upper part of thecontainer against inward displacement under conditions in which thecontainer is squeezed or partially collapsed inwardly by the pressure ofthe hand. When this occurs the wall flange 24 serves as an abutment orrestraining wall eflective to resist disengagement of the threads andundesirable separation of the cover from the container.

I claim:

1. A cover for an open top receptacle having a substantially flat topportion occupying the major area of the cover, said cover at one side ofsaid top portion having a downwardly oflset portion forming a recessopening outwardly and terminating in a bottom portion disposed belowsaid top portion, said bottom portion having ,an opening bounded by anupstanding annular flange, a closure cap hinged to said bottom portionand adapted to coact with said flange to close said opening, said topportion terminating in a depending flange adapted to have closureengagement with the upper edge of the receptacle.

2. A cover for an open top receptacle having a substantially flat topportion occupying the major area of the cover, said cover at one side ofsaid top portion having ,a downwardly offset portion forming a recessopeningoutwardly and terminating in a bottom portion diSPOsed below saidtop portion, said, bottom portion having an opening bounded by anupstanding annular flange, .a closure cap hinged to said bottom portionand adapted to coact with said flange to close said opening, saidclosure cap in closed position being disposed substantially flush withsaid top portion.

stantially flat top portion occupying the major area of the cover, saidcover at one side of said top portion having a downwardly offset portionforming a recess opening outwardly and terminating in a bottom portiondisposed below said top portion, said bottom portion having an openingbounded by an upstanding annular flange, a closure cap hinged to saidbottom portion and adapted to coact with said flange to close .saidopening, said closure cap in closed position being disposedsubstantially flush with said topport'ion and having a projecting fingerpiece 'overlying'the outer edge portion of the cover.

4. A cover .for .an open top receptacle having a top provided with adepending side wall adapted to have closure engagement with the upperedge of the receptacle, said top having an upper substantially flat topportion occupying the major area of the cover and also having at oneside thereof a downwardly oifset portion forming a recess bounded by agenerally 'U-shaped side wall terminating in laterally spaced endportions disposed adjacent to said first named side wall, the bottomportion of said recess having an opening bounded by an upstandingannular flange disposed between said spaced end portions, a closure caphinged to said "bottom portion and adapted to coact with said flange toclose said opening.

5. A cover for an open top receptacle having a top provided with adepending side wall adapted to have closure engagement with the upperedge of the receptacle, said top having an upper substantially flat topportion occupying the major area of the cover and also having at oneside thereof .a downwardly offset portion forming a recess extendinginwardly in the direction of the center of said top and bounded by aside wall terminating in laterally spaced end portions merging into thedepending arcuate side wall portion of said flatptop portion, the bottomportion of said recess having an opening bounded by an upstandingannular flange disposed between said spaced end portions, a closure caphinged to said bottom portion .at a locality inwardly of said openingand adapted to snugly embrace said flange to close said opening, saidcap having a substantially flat top lying in the closed position of thecap substantially in the plane of said upper flat top portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS2,063,538 Dahl Dec. 8, 1936 2,661,862 Howe Dec. 8, 1953 2,711,766 Archeret al June 28, 1955 2,754,866 Coltman July 17, 1956 2,764,199 TupperSept. 25, 1956 2,790,475 Close Apr. 30, .1957

FOREIGN PATENTS 963,119 ,France. Dec. 19, 1949

